Literary criticism is the study evaluation and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals. Though the two activities are closely related literary critics are not always and have not always been theorists. Whether or not literary criticism should be considered a separate field of inquiry from literary theory or conversely from book reviewing is a matter of some controversy.

Literary criticism has probably existed for as long as literature. In the 4th century BC Aristotle wrote the poetics a typology and description of literary forms with many specific criticisms of contemporary works of art. The literary criticism of the renaissance developed classical ideas of unity of form and content into literary neoclassicism proclaiming literature as central to culture entrusting the poet and the author with preservation of a long literary tradition.